Guard for sewing machines



Feb, 3. 1925. 1,525,390

E. T. HOUTZ GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES I gwuewtoz 411 7 fluom E. T. H OUTZ Feb. 3. 1925.

GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan, 21, 1924 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES EMMA TROXEL HOUTZ, OF MCLEAN, VIRGINIA.

GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Application fi1ed January 21, 1924; Serial No. 687,626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA T. Hou'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mc- Lean, in the county of Fairfax and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for use in connection with a sewing machine to prevent the cloth being stitched from coming in contact with any portion of the machine. It not infrequently happens that in the use of a sewing machine, the cloth being stitched will, through accident or oversight, become draped in such a manner as to come in contact with some lubricated part of the machine, whereupon it will become soiled, or there is likelihood of the cloth being torn or otherwise damaged if it comes incontact with a moving part of the machine mechanism. Therefore, the present invention has as its general object to provide guard aprons adapted to be arranged one at the back and the other at the front of a sewing machine and so draped as to preclude any liability of the cloth which is being stitched, finding its way to a position beneath the top of the machine or beneath the treadle thereof.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the apron which is to be disposed at the front of the machine, that an intermediate or lap portion thereof may be maintained in properly draped position over the lap of the operator of the machine so as to prevent the cloth, which is being stitched, dropping to a position beneath the top of the machine and, on the other hand, maintaining the cloth in a neatly folded condition in the lap of the said operator.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that it may be readily applied to any sewing machine and adjusted for use. p

In the accompanying drawings:

' Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the manner of employing the guard embodyin the invention;

*igure 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view through the front apron of the guard;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the front apron and the attaching means therefor;

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of the front apron of the guard removed from the machine;

Figure 5 is a similar view of the rear apron of the guard removed;

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the compact manner in which the device may be arranged when not in use.

The front apron of the guard, which is best illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, is indicated in general by the reference numeral 1 and the apron may be made up from any required number of cloth blanks and comprises a body portion 2 which is preferably of substantially rectangular marginal outline and is provided along its upper' edge with a hem having a series of openings 3 therein through which screws or other securing elements 4 may be passed, this margin of the apron being laid over a wood strip 5 which is disposed against the under side of the top of the machine at the front and secured in place by the said securing elements t. In this manner, the apron, which is of substantially the same width as the sewing machine top, is draped in front of the machine and its lower edge will nearly reach the floor.

The front apron 1 has its body portion or sheet cut away at its mid-porton, as at 6, to provide a limb receiving opening in the apron to permit of the apron being properly arranged with relation to the lap of the one operating the sewing machine. In thus providing the opening 6, which extends from a point near the upper margin of the sheet 2,

downwardly and through the lower margin thereof, the lower portion of the sheet is divided into two side sections indicated by the numeral 7 which sections depend at the opposite sides of the front of the sewing machine substantially in a vertical plane and are provided at or near their lower outer corners with tie strings S or other means adapting the said lower outer cor- 11ers to be attached to the front corners of the frame of the sewing machine as best shown in Figure 1. In order that the side sections 7 may be held substantially flat, it is preferable that transverse pockets 9 be formed in each of the sa-idisidei-sections parallel to their lower margins. and 'thatustay 10 of metal, bone, or other material,. be arm ranged within the pockets, as best shown in Figure 4.

The limb receiving open ng .6 In the sheet 2 is preferably increased in width in the direction of its upper .-portion andj-themsaid,

the operator of thecmachine as'shown in Figure l, being.arrangedlikewise substantially :as shown.-.1n Figures 2 and 3, and

near its free margin and adapted toibeatied about the waist of the operator of the machine. iBy I'QfGIGDCGntO Figure lit will be. observed that due to the fullness provided in the lap apron '12, theisaid apron may be more or less closely draped over the lap. of

the wearerzand yet-without; in any way;interfering with themnecessa-ry limb movementsin operating the machine.

; The backapron isindicatedin general-by the numeralzltand comprisesa body sheet 15 of'any suitable-.material, preferably the "same as that from whichgthebody. sheet of the front apron is. formed. -The-ibacky apron, like thef1011t1fl131011, isof substantially rectangular marginal 0utline.;a'nd is uPPOViClGCl with .amarginalihem 16. V-Open-' ings;17 are :fOllDECl. i11.tl1e upper marginof the body sheet 15 andare designed for the.

iassa 'e'ofnsecurin elementslS corres 30ndl e a strip l9of wood or other material over which the said-margin ot the sheet-151s laid,-and thesaid elements being driven into the under side of the topof themachine atthe rear thereof. Tying strings 2.0 are consheet. 15 nearthe lower corners thereof and may be: suitablytredxabout the; rear lower corners ofuthe: frame'ofwthe, m'achlne, and

:in this manner the rear apron 1 lismaintained inz suitably' draped position extending over the complete rear-of the machine beneath the plane of the top. andathereby. preventing any of the cloth, being sewed,

entering the space beneath tllGySfllCl topof the machine. If desired, a pocket Ql may be formed transversely in the lower portion of the sheet 15 parallel to the lower edge and extending between the opposite lateral edges of the said sheet, and a stiffening bar or the like indicated by the numeral 22 may be arranged within the said pocket.

From the foregoing description of the inyention it will vbe evident that the .device embodying the invention is readily appliv cable to any sewing machine and constitutes an etficientmeans for preventing the cloth which is being stitched entering the space .below thetop ,of the machine where it would strap 23, is stitched-or otherwise secured at one end at ,the marginal portion :of-either. strings l3 areconnect'ed. to the said apron aproirand a snap fastener 24 is provided for the rolled aprons.

; I Iavi ng. thus described -what is claimed asnew. is: V V 1 A guard for sewing machines comprisi s 1m and s end ry m mbers. t e; s a e b r beingip o d Wi h-4 16mm ad p ,ing it to beattached at itsupper edge to the .top Of thenachine andat its lower edgeto the lower- ;portion ,ofthe machine; thegn ain member 1having;substantially its er tire gmiddle portion from top to,bo ttom cut away to 4 provide. a, gate-like-opening to allow freedom for the. operators limbs, the secondary nc nber being;ma rgi-nally united to the main ,member alongthe edge of the gate-like opening- ;in- ;order to overlay the lap (and extend downthe sides of the limbs of theopa erator.

ing to the elements 4. previously described, these securing elements being passed through 2.,A guard for sewing machines compris the invention,

itto be attachedat its upper edgeto thetop ofthe machine and at its lower edgeto the lower. port on oft-he machine, and the main member having substantially its entire. midnected tothe1lateralmargins of the bodyg dle portion.fromtop .to, bottom, cut, away to provide a gate-like opening-to allow-free Y. dom for the; operators ,l1mbs, .pock ets .being formed onceach side of said .gateelike open ing in the, main m ember, stiffeningfln eans inserted in the pockets, the secondary member be ng marginally;united to ,the ,main member; along the edge of the gate like opening, andsecuringv elements on the ,secondary ing a main member and a secondary member, said main member including substantially rectangular side sections and a relatively narrow top section, means adapting the main member to be attached along its top edge to the Working table of the sewing machine, the auxiliary member being fastened to the main member along the straight inner edges of said side sections and to the top section, and securing elements on the secondary member adapted to attach the same to the body of the operator in such a manner that it covers the lap and limbs of the operator.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa-- ture.

EMMA TROXEL HOUTZ. [n s.]; 

